I wanted to write this piece on Saturday, and I should have, because it still stands out to me as the best match of the weekend. Newly promoted Stoke City topping Aston Villa 3-2 in a tit-for-tat game decided at the death.

Stoke, if the early season is any indication of surviving relegation, looked like a side that could easily avoid the drop. They lead the Villains thrice, with the final tally enough to earn them all three points, though Martin O’Neill’s side battled back twice and looked poised to force the draw.

There will be talk that the penalty awarded Stoke was dubious, but how many men need to be taken down in the area before a call is made? Liam Lawrence put it home from the spot to give the Potters their first lead. It held up until John Carew placed his shot perfectly in the ’63rd minute, converting off a nifty back-heeled assist. In the 80th minute Stoke’s Ricardo Fuller received a pass and, with a quick turn and a deft flick, sent the ball over Villa’s Martin Laursen. Handcuffed, Laursen was forced to try to catch Fuller as he blew by, but it was too late as the Jamaican striker slipped the ball past Brad Friedel and inside the far post.

Laursen would have hit shot at redemption when he leveled the score three minutes later. The Danish defender looked to have salvaged a point for his side, but as the game dragged into stoppage time a long throw from Rory Delap found the back of Mamady Sidibe’s head and Stoke’s winner was in the net. Brad Friedel could do nothing but hold his head.

The Potters are two games in with a loss and a victory to their credit but, while the loss to Bolton made them look like a side out of place in the top flight, their defeat of a near-perennial top-six side made them look like they belong.